About this talk
Heidi Larson, Vaccine Trust Anthropologist, studies rumors. With today’s technology, information is at our fingertips; at the same time, misinformation spreads like wildfire. While working across the globe on global Polio eradication, Heidi noticed the consequential impact of vaccine distrust and medical rumors. In response, she created the Vaccine Confidence Project, an interdisciplinary, global initiative that studies rumor dissemination across countries, communities, and social networks to better understand medical misinformation. While vaccines are surrounded by “political and social turbulence,” Heidi argues that the problem is not misinformation, but rather the lack of relationships around trusted health information.
Heidi believes that we can inspire trust in medicine, particularly around vaccines, by building a health system that is empathetic and reciprocal. Watch Heidi’s Talk, “Rumors, trust and vaccines“.
About Heidi Larson
See more
About Heidi
Dr. Heidi Larson is a leading anthropologist and an internationally recognized expert on vaccine confidence and public trust. She is best known as the founder and director of The Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. This project focuses on understanding and addressing the social and political reasons why people may hesitate to accept vaccines. Her research involves analyzing how rumors, misinformation, and the beliefs of the public impact the success of health programs and policies. Heidi’s work is crucial for managing health crises and ensuring that vaccines and other medical interventions are trusted by the public, from the earliest stages of clinical trials all the way to their delivery. Throughout her career, Heidi has held influential roles at major global health organizations. She previously led Global Immunisation Communication at UNICEF and chaired a task force for GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance. Her expertise has also been sought by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She currently holds academic positions at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the University of Washington, where she continues her vital work on public health and risk communication.
